Inductees to the 2014 Hall of Fame range from the business sector to the fine arts.
Shelmer Doyle Blackburn Jr.
Year Inducted: 2014
Blackburn established The Blackburn Family Foundation Charitable Organization. He is the former Chairman of Adult Enrichment Services of Wilkes County and was instrumental in the establishment of the Ruby Pardue Blackburn Adult Day Care.
Zachary Knight Galifianakis
Year Inducted: 2014
Galifianakis’ career began on television, and he currently thrives in the film industry as an award-winning supporting actor.
Leonard G. Herring
Year Inducted: 2014
Under Herring's leadership, Lowe’s was listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Herring also decided to grow the company by increasing its do-it-yourself retail business while retaining the building supply market share.
Marvin "Red" Hoffman
Year Inducted: 2014
In 2014, the NCHSAA recognized Hoffman posthumously as one of the “NCHSAA 100 Coaches To Remember.” Coach Hoffman was recognized as the face of Wilkes County athletics statewide.
Petro "Pete" Kulynych
Year Inducted: 2014
Kulynych's job as the bookkeeper for a small hardware store in North Wilkesboro eventually grew into serving as top executive at the same store, which grew into the Lowe's hardware chain.
Benny Parsons
Year Inducted: 2014
Parsons received the North Carolina Motor Sports Industry Life Time Tribute Award, the National Motor Sports Press Association Award and the North Carolina Order of the Long Leaf Pine.
James Larkin Pearson
Year Inducted: 2014
Pearson was appointed as North Carolina's second Poet Laureate, and he served from 1953 until 1981. He kept this title until his death.
John Swofford
Year Inducted: 2014
Swofford was instrumental in shaping the new postseason format for college football, and his leadership and negotiating skills helped the ACC conference extend its exclusive, multi-platform agreement with ESPN.
William "Bill" Oliver Swofford
Year Inducted: 2014
In the early 1970s, Swofford toured hundreds of college campuses and collaborated with Karen Carpenter before leaving the music business.
Dr. Howard Thompson
Year Inducted: 2014
Dr. Thompson was the founding president of Wilkes Community College (WCC). He served from March 1965 to June 1977 and built WCC into a highly respected educational institution.
